Our Animals
Our Animals
At Our Ancestors’ Foods, the breeds we raise are carefully chosen for our climate, our pastures, and the quality of meat they produce. Each animal plays a role in creating food that is flavorful, nutrient-dense, and raised responsibly.
Our Cattle
Our beef is Charbray, a cross between Brahman and Charolais cattle. We raise Brahman cows (dams) and breed them with Black Charolais bulls (sires). This combination allows us to raise cattle that thrive on Florida pasture while producing tender, flavorful beef.
Our Cows: Brahman
Our females are Brahman cattle, a breed originally derived from cattle brought from India. Brahmans are incredibly well suited to warm climates like Florida.
We use Brahman cows because they:
• Thrive in hot, humid climates
• Are extremely tolerant of insects and parasites
• Efficiently convert pasture forage into muscle and weight
• Are hardy, intelligent, and gentle when managed properly
• Can graze land that many other breeds cannot use effectively
One of the most remarkable traits of Brahman cattle is their ability to adjust calf size during pregnancy based on the cow’s condition and nutrition, which significantly reduces dystocia (difficult births). This makes them excellent mothers and contributes to healthier calves.
Their loose skin, highly developed sweat glands, and short glossy hair coats help them handle the Florida heat better than most other cattle breeds.
Our Bulls: Charolais
Our bulls are Black Charolais, a breed that originated in France and has been prized for beef production for centuries.
We use Charolais bulls because they are known for:
• Excellent marbling and tenderness
• Strong muscle development
• Rapid growth and weight gain
• Exceptional meat yield from premium cuts
By pairing Brahman cows with Charolais bulls, we get cattle that combine Florida climate resilience with outstanding beef quality.
The result is Charbray beef that is well adapted to pasture, grows naturally on grass, and produces flavorful beef.
Our Pigs
Our pigs are registered Berkshire and Duroc heritage breeds, raised outdoors on pasture.
Most pork today comes from hogs raised in confinement barns, and pork typically carries most of its fat on the outside of the muscle rather than marbled throughout it.
Berkshire pigs are different.
They are one of the few breeds of hogs known for natural marbling, similar to what you see in high-quality beef. This intramuscular fat creates richer flavor and tenderness.
Our breeding program combines the best qualities of both breeds:
Berkshire females (sows)
• Known for excellent marbling
• Produce rich, tender pork
Duroc males (boars)
• Known for sweet, flavorful meat
• Excellent growth and meat quality
By crossing Berkshire sows with Duroc boars, we produce pork that combines marbling, tenderness, and flavor.
Our pigs spend their lives outdoors rooting, grazing, and expressing natural behaviors on pasture, which contributes to healthier animals and better tasting pork.
Our Lamb
Our lambs are raised on pasture alongside our other livestock, grazing a natural diet of grasses and forage. Pasture-raised lamb develops a clean, mild flavor while supporting healthy soil and pasture ecosystems.
Farming With the Future in Mind
Raising animals this way takes more time and care than industrial systems, but we believe food should be produced responsibly.
By raising animals on pasture, choosing breeds suited to our environment, and working with USDA-inspected processors, we are able to produce food that is transparent, nutrient-dense, and raised with integrity.